Three-way Group One glory for Pompeii Court

The value of Pompeii Court as both sire and broodmare sire was underlined in bold black ink yesterday when his five-year-old son Pomp And Glory won the ARC Easter Handicap G1 at Ellerslie.

That was about 85 minutes before Starcraft, from Pompeii Court's daughter Flying Floozie, took out the AJC Australian Derby G1 at Randwick, from the very game Braeloch a son of Prized from Valley Court by - you guessed it - Pompeii Court.

Although Pomp And Glory's margin over the fast-finishing Rodrigo Rose was only a half-length, he was most impressive, bursting clear after the turn and cutting out the 1600 metres in race record time of 1:32.09.

Starcraft had a tougher run up the home straight at Randwick, but found plenty to collar the front-running longshot Braeloch by a half-head. Starcraft and Braeloch provided the fifth win, and second New Zealand-bred AJC Derby quinella in the past decade. The other Kiwi-bred winners in that period have been Octagonal (1996), Ebony Grosve (1997), Sky Heights (1999) and in 2002, Don Eduardo, with Carnegie Express a close second.

Pomp And Glory is the sixth Group One winner left by Pompeii Court who died, aged 23 in 2000, after an eleven-season career at Waikato Stud, mainly in the care of the Chittick family. Fittingly, Garry Chittick is the breeder of Starcraft; while Pomp And Glory was bred by his Western Australian co-owner Terry Crommelin; and Braeloch's breeders are Hazel & Barry Clevely of Wellington.

The Clevelys deserve every bit of success they have with Valley Court, after leasing her to Fayette Park Stud which bred G1 Hail from her; and selling Stark South and Kashani colts for a total of $23,500, only to see the buyers on-sell them for a total of $165,000.

Barry and Hazel finally got a break when they sold Braeloch to master Australian bloodstock agent Harry Lawton at the 2002 NZ Premier yearling sale for $82,500. And then, like most dedicated breeders, they put a fair percentage of the proceeds back into a $35,000 service fee for Montjeu.

Pompeii Court's daughters have made a bigger impact on the racetrack than his colts, with Golden Slipper winner Courtza, Saint Cecile, Derobe and Pompeii Pearl all winning at Group One level, and four of his five Group 2 winners also being fillies. His best colt to date has been Courtza's brother Our Pompeii, winner of two Adelaide Cups, a South Australian Derby and a Sandown Cup, as well as several fine placings in Melbourne Group 2 company. Pomp And Glory, a lighter, racier type than most sons of Pompeii Court, will get the chance to extend his record with a trip to Queensland, and possibly Sydney, next on his agenda.

In all, Pompeii Court has 31 stakeswinners from 761 foals of racing age (4.1%), with his last crop now rising four-year-olds. It's likely, however, that his record as a broodmare sire (currently 24 SW, 3.5%, from 683 foals) will soon surpass those figures, especially as his tally already includes six Group One winners: Hail, Starcraft, Zayyad, O'Reilly and two HK-1 winners Idol and Cheerine Kid.

Pompeii Court's contribution to breeding in New Zealand, where he stood his entire career, is more fully appreciated alongside those of the sires of Starcraft and Braeloch. Soviet Star shuttled for a single season to New Zealand and will not return here. Prized shuttled to Fayette Park for six years but was not highly valued in the marketplace and returned to the United States after the 2001 season.